Multiple-unit electric heater



W. A. KENNEDY AND A. J. MOTTLAU.

MULTIPLE UNIT ELECTRIC HEATER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1920.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- Y W. A. KENNEDY AND A. J. MOTTLAU.

MULTIPLE UNIT ELECTRIC HEATER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1920.

I ,395,584=. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrice.

WILLIAM A. KENNEDY, or LEONIA, NEW JERSEY, AND accuse J. MGTTLAU, 0F FAR, ROCKAWAY, NEW YORK; SAID MO'ITLAU essiGNoR T0 earn KENNEDY.

MULTIPLE-UNIT ELEGTRIC HEATER.

Application filed May 26,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. KEN- NEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leonia, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, and AUGUST J. Morr- LAU, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Far Rockaway, in the county of Queens and State of New, York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple-Unit Electric Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric heaters, for heating rooms, offices and other inclosures; and has for an object to provide a heater of this kind of artistic appearance; which may be easily and economically manufactured and operated; which will be durable in operation and not get out of order; with which heat may at will be projected; intensified in one direction or equally or unequally projected in all directions around the heater, or with adjustable intensities in one or more directions, and with which the heat may be varied by cutting in or out one or more separate heating units in various numbers and combination.

' Other objects are to provide a switch of general application which will make connections for performing the operations above mentioned, and which may be operated by a single handle. Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein minute details of the invention are described, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example two of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Figure 1 isan elevation of one form 01B Fig. 2 is a plan thereof; I

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic horizontal sectional view'of the electric switches;

Figs. 3*,3 and 3 are diagrammatic vertical sectional views taken on the lines aa,

b??) and 'c'0 respectively of Fig. 3 and showing the switches open; Figs. 4: to 6 are viewsv similar to Figs. 3 to 3 respectively and showing different closed portions Figs. 7 and. 8 arev-iews similar to Figs. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nev. 1, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 324,445.

and 2 and showing another form of the invention, and

Figs. 9 to 13 are diagrammatic views similar to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 8.

The form of heater shown in Figs. 1 to 6, comprises a base 10 (Fig. 1) on which rests a hous1ng 11 having a circular top dial 12 with position indications 14 (Fig. 2) thereon. and'three outwardly and upwardly inclined parabolic reflectors 15, l5 and 15 dlsposed at equal angles apart though the invention is in no way limited as to the number of reflectors.

)Vithin the housing 11 is a cylindrical switch casing 18 on said base 10 and co-axial witlrthe housing and in which is disposed a switch spindle 19 CO-2tXlZLli with the casing and housing extending up through said dial -12 where it is provided with a manipulating indicator-handle 20 disposed over said indications 14.

Pairs of receiving spring switch-contacts 21 (Fig. 8 22* (Fig. 3) and 23 (Fig. 3) are dlsposed in said casing 18 in vertical planes aa, 6-?) and 0-0 (Fig. 3), 120 degrees apart and in three horizontal planes or paths diagrammatically indicated at 79 p and 79 3), the first vertical plane aa (Fig. 3) containing a pair 21 ineach horizontal plane or path 27 p and 37 the second vertical plane bb (Fig. 3") containing one pair 22" in the middle Plane or path 19 and the third vertical plane c-c (Fig. 3) containing one pair 23 in the top plane or path 12 Switch knives 25 (Fig. 3) 26 (Fig. 3)

27 and 28 (Fig. 3) are carried on arms 29 fixed on said spindle and adapted to be ad- 'justed to engage between and electrically connect said contacts of each pair, the knives being disposed in said horizontal planes or paths p, 77 and p and in vertical planes or assemblies 120 degrees apart and corresponding to said'first named vertical planes adapted at times to register with said first named vertical planes respectively. The first vertical plane or assembly (Fig. 4) contains knives-25 in'all three horizontal planes. The second plane or assembly (Fig. 4") comprises one knife 26 in the lowest horizontal plane or path 10 and the third plane or assembly (Fig. 4) contains two knives 27 and 28 one each in the two lgwest plane s-or paths p and p.

Three heating units, 31, 32 ,33 are disposed substantially in the focus of said reflector 15 and connected in series respectively with the switch contacts 21 of said first vertical plane aa; one heating unit 34 in the focus of the reflector 15 and heating unit 35 associated with reflector 15 are each connected in series with the pairs of switch contacts 21, 22 and 23 respectively by means of conductors 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43, by means of which current is supplied from any suitable source.

The operation of the device is very simple. If the handle 20 is moved to one of the three positions marked 0 on the dial 12, the various switch knives will take up portions midway between the pairs of contacts, as in Fig. 3, and no electrical contact will be made, as indicated by the uninked circles 31 to 35 in Figs. 3 to 3.

If, however, the handle 20 assumes the position indicated by numeral 1, the knives will assume the position indicated in F igs. 4 to 4, and knives 25 will bridge the spring contacts passing current through units 31, 32 and. 33 as indicated by the inked circles in Fig. 4 At this position, however, the knife 26 being in path P does not register with contacts 22", the latter being in path P In like -manner, knives 27 g and 28 do not register with contacts 23. Therefore, units 34 and 35 are not heated, as indicated by the uninked circles, and the heat of the three units 31*, 32 and 33 is projected substantially in a single direction.

In the second position (Figs. 5 to 5), the heat of two units 32 and 33 is projected in one direction, and the heat of the single unit '34l 'is projected in another direction, while the 'unit 35 is cold.

In the position of Figs. 6 to 6, the current is'on only one unit of each reflector, units 31 and 32 being cold. Thus the heat is substantially evenly distributed all'around the heater. g

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 to 13, the housing 51 comprises a circular top "dial 52' having position indications 54 thereon, and form-outwardly and upwardly inclined parabolic reflectors disposed equal degrees apart; V

In this form the switch-contacts are disposed in four different divisions 90 degree anglesapart. and in four different paths, I P P P and P (Fig. 9),

.sioncontai ning four contacts 61 each path." The second division contains contacts 62 in the third and fourth paths P 'and P the first divione in w The thirddivision contains one contact 63 in the fourth path, and the one contact Gal in register with contacts 67 and 68.

being disposed in said paths, and in four movable assemblies equal 90 degrees apart and arranged in the same order as said divisions and'each adapted tobecome associated with any one of the said divisions respectively. The first movable assembly contains knives 65 (Fig. 9) in all four paths; the second assembly contains one knife 66 in the first path P the third assembly contains one knife 67 in the third path P and the fourth assembly contains two knives 68, one each in the third and fourth paths P and P Four heating units '71 are associated with the reflector 55 and are connected with the switch contacts 61 respectively of saidfirst division; two heating units 72 are associated withthe reflector 55 and connected to the contacts 62 of the second divisionyone heating unit 73 associated with the reflect-or 55 and is connected in series with the contacts 63 of the third division; and one heating unit 74 associated with the 55 reflector and is connected in series with the contacts 64 of the fourth division.

The operation'of the form of invention of Figs. 8 to 13 is very similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2. If the handle 50 is moved to one of the four positions marked 0 on the dial 52, the various switch knives will take up positions midway between the pairs of contacts, as in Fig. 9, and no electrical contact will be made, as indicated by the dotted lines 71"" to 74 in Fig. 9; these dotted lines representing the heating units when no current is on. The same lines solid represent heating units with current and heaton.

If, however, the handle assumesthe position indicated by the numeral 1 on the dial, the knives will assume the position-of Fig. 10, and will engage the contacts 61 passing current through thefour units 71 as indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 10.

At this position, however, the knife 66 being in path l does not register with either con tact 62*, the latter being in paths P and P In like manner, 'knives 67 and 68 do not Therefore, units 72 and 75 are not heated, and j the heat of the four units/'71 is projected 116 substantially in a single direction.

In the second position (Fig. '11), the heat of two units 71 is projectedip one direction, as indicated by the solid lines, and the heat of the two units 72 isprojected: in another 120 direction, while the units 73 and 74 are cold, asindicated by dotted lines:

:In thethird position (Fig. 12), the heat of two units 72 isprojected. in one direction, and the heat of single unit 73 and one 'of units 71* is projected in other directions,

while the units 7 4 and three of units '71 are cold.'

In the position of Fig. 13, the current is 1 on only one unit of each reflector, three of units "('1 and one of units 72* being cold. Thus the heat is substantially evenly distributed all around the heater.

We claim:

1. In combination, a plurality of reflectors outwardly pointing in different directions as much as 90 degrees apart; heating units associated with the reflectors in different numbers respectively; and means for supplying current to said units in various numbers.

2. In combination, a plurality of reflectors disposed in different outward directions, the sum of the angles between said directions being greater than 90 degrees; heating units associated with the reflectors; and means for energizing to said units.

3. In combination, a plurality of reflectors disposed in different directions; heating units associated with the reflectors in various numbers; and means for energizing to said units in various numbers and combi nations.

4. In combination, a plurality of reflectors outwardly pointing in directions equal angles apart, the sum of said angles equaling 360 degrees; and heating units associated with the reflectors. I

5. In combination, a plurality of heating devices adapted to direct heat in different outward directions; and means for causing said devices to give ofi heat in various different combinations and intensities.

6. In combination, a plurality of heating devices and means for causing said devices to give off different heat intensities.

7. In combination, a plurality of heating devices and means for causing said devices to give ofi' heat in various combinations and intensities.

8. In combination, a plurality of heating devices adapted to direct heat in different outward directions as much as 90 degrees apart.

9. In combination, a plurality of reflectors outwardly pointing in directions equal angles apart; a group of heating units associated with one of said reflectors; heating units associated with the other reflectors; and means for supplying current to said units in various numbers and combinations.

10. In combination, a plurality of switches adapted to be closed in different numbers and combinations; a plurality of reflectors; and heating units associated with the reflectors and connected with the respective switches.

11. In combination, a plurality of switch contacts disposed in several difierent divisions, some divisions containing more contacts than others; switch knives adapted to electrically engage or disengage different numbers and combinations of contacts at different positions of the knives; and heating units connected with the respective contacts.

W. A. KENNEDY. A. J MOTTLAU.

Witnesses:

H. D. PENNEY, AGHILLES Romano. 

